Candid Review of Hari Mehrotra’s ambitious film VIRAAM

Producers: Hari Mehrotra.. Director: Ziaullah Khan..Music: Siddhant Madhav

Banner: M Media Magic

THE STORY

An ageing widower businessman Abhiraj Malhotra ( Narendra Jha )  is seeking to fulfil his departed wife’s last wish of building a multi-speciality hospital in Dehradun.  Abhiraj’s chance encounter with a young, seemingly destitute runaway woman Mahtun (Urmila Mahanta) from Purulia, Orissa, who Abhiraj promptly hires as his servant. Mahtun also makes delicious food for Abhiraj and finally loves him too and reaches his bedroom. They make love but Abhiraj  feels guilty about it . Mahtun now  wants their relationship to be out in the open. What happens later forms the crux of the story.

 CRITICAL & TRADE ANALYSIS

The film’s script(Abdullah Khn) has been written in the style of the eighties and the dialogue also appears to have heard in umpteen family dramas of the past as they are  being re-served in a modern-day context and it feels distinctly unpleasant. The climax is a letdown once Abhiraj is shown dead and also the film shows Mahtun in a bad shade which may not be digested by many. Performancesie, Narendra Jha is very good. Urmila Mahanta acts brilliantly and she needs bigger makers to prove her talent. Annapurna Bhairi is good as Laxmi , the caretaker of Abhiraj. Zaid Shaikh,Satish Sharma,Sanjay Verma and Tripurari Yadav lend good support. Musically, singer Tripty Sinha has lent two very good numbers, one being a devotional while the other a romantic one and also they are equally well written by Azeem Shirazi. Camerawork( Jojny Laal) is heavenly and Dehradun  locales never looked so beautiful till date. Also the glimpses of Mussourie and Hrishikesh are enchanting. Editing( Ashish Gaikar) is crisp. Production and technical values are good. The publiicty was good.

At the box-office, the film has merits for the ladies  specially and it may be patronised in select cinemas of U.P. mainly where the film has been shot while business in other territories will make the investors happy..!

REVIEW BY OUR STAFFER AND PIXS BY DILIP RAJPUT